CVE-2024-0210: Denial of Service Vulnerability in Wireshark 4.2.0

Overview

The vulnerability identified as CVE-2024-0210 is a critical security flaw affecting Wireshark 4.2.0, a popular network protocol analyzer. The vulnerability lies in the Zigbee TLV dissector, which can crash when exploited, leading to a denial of service (DoS) attack. This flaw has far-reaching implications for both individual users and organizations using the affected version of Wireshark, as it can lead to potential system compromise or data leakage. The severity of this vulnerability underscores the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures and timely patching.

Vulnerability Summary

CVE ID: CVE-2024-0210
Severity: High (7.8 CVSS Score)
Attack Vector: Network
Privileges Required: None
User Interaction: None
Impact: Denial of service, potential system compromise, and data leakage

Affected Products

Product | Affected Versions

Wireshark | 4.2.0

How the Exploit Works

The exploit works by injecting a specially crafted packet or capture file into the Wireshark system. The Zigbee TLV dissector, which is responsible for analyzing Zigbee packets, fails to properly handle these malformed packets or capture files. This leads to a crash in the Wireshark application, resulting in a denial of service. If the attacker has further malicious intent and capabilities, this vulnerability could also be used as a stepping stone to compromise the system or leak data.

Conceptual Example Code

Here’s a
conceptual
example of how an attacker might exploit this vulnerability, using a malicious payload that could be sent over the network:

echo -e "\x00\x01\x02\x03\x04\x05\x06\x07\x08\x09\x0a\x0b\x0c\x0d\x0e\x0f\x10" | nc target.example.com 1234

In this example, the echo command generates a hexadecimal string (a crafted packet), which is then sent to the target system via the netcat (nc) utility. The target system, running Wireshark 4.2.0, attempts to dissect this packet with the Zigbee TLV dissector, leading to a crash and denial of service. Please note that this is a conceptual example and the actual exploit code may differ significantly.

How to Mitigate

Users and administrators are advised to apply the latest vendor patches to mitigate this vulnerability. If a patch is not immediately available, the use of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) or an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) could serve as a temporary mitigation measure. These systems can detect and block malicious packets, providing an additional layer of security until a permanent fix can be applied.